Golf club



Apr M, W35.. A, E. BUHRKE m-AL l,997,853

GOLF CLUB Filed Aug. 16, 1952 Patented @16,1935 v y 1,997,853

UNITED STATES Poil#la;NT` oFFlce v e,SJB.

Alfred E. Buhrke and Allen F. Heeter, Chicago, llllt, said Heeter assigner to, said Buhrkev Application August is. iosa seria; 629,066

8 Claims. (Cl. 273-180) l The invention relates to golf clubs and more shaft fragment and the contiguous parts f the particularly of the type commonly refer-redto as cl'nb'head shank` in vsection to'disclose details of irons or metallic headed clubs as distinguished construction. l from clubs which commonly have heads of Wood Referring tothe drawing, we show a golf Club or other brous materials. f I shaft oi metal and it may be of seamless tubu- 5 It is the primaryobject of our invention. to lar forno and tapered raeillustrat ed from they grip provide a golf club with a metallic head having portion I ll on said shaft Il downwardly toward a metallic shank extending *therefrom and pro-V the en d'thereof towhch the club'head is designed vided with asuitable hoselor socket opening to to be attached. Whilethe tapered tubular metalof a exible character, preferably of resilient in `the present embodiment of the invention, it. metal whereby to provide an improved joint con.- will be apparent that our improved club head and nection between the shank and handle shaft in shank construction maybe used in a combination order that the club may present a iinished ape of any desired forni of `#flexible shaft, whether pearancc, proper balance and improved means rnade. of solidinaterial Aor of vtubular form and for cushioning vibrations ordinarily imparted. whether or tapered form or oi cylindrical form from the head of the club throughthe Vshank or ofaplnrality of short integrallyjoined stepped through and alone the handle shaft to the bart sections or integrally joined substantially Cv1lh' of the same which is adapted to be provided with drical tribe sections in the portion' thereof diS- a grip portion to be embraced bv the hands of posed betwee. the handle or the club andthe 2o the. player. end thereot attached tothe club head and special-I .Itvis a lllthor Obiotf the. invention lio DlOf.4 ly formed socket shank thereof, since golf club vide an improved oohstrnotionvoombrisine an insharts of the various constructions referred toas tegral metallic vclub heed .and Shank ladapted. to wenas other rormsare now commonly ueedln 25. receive, support and Acushion the ordinary .club iron headedclbs and especially iron headed clubs ,25 Shfli ,athed llhill't", whenfprevided with `metallic' shafts 'as distin- .A further object of .the invention is tor-provide. -gifnsliedfrom .iron headedclubs as previously proas an article of manufacture en l,improved netah vided with eotwardlviahd. upwardly enlarged telie'eoliolub head provided with .e Striking. or beredfihteerel metel CShehke and belled handle blade portion and an integral .shank portion sheltsedieeent .the shank of vthe hee-d there isa so soolseted. to receiveV e'handle Sheltgthe shank marked tendency for'vibration .to be imparted being providedwith yirnprmed means for givingV from the headtn the shaft through the c0nneo` balance to the club and damping. vibrations tendtion @inthe Shank, and we have discovered that ing to be imparted from the club ,head to the reelordless of the construction of the. flexible 35. shatWhen-ih play.r metallic shaft We are alolV to cushion the driving 35,

` other objects .of the. invention will appear. ehoolsfimbarted to the elubwheed end transmitted from the following kspeoication1l directed to the'V by the clnb head ,through the head shank or ordipneferred embodimentof. our invention as deeA nary :construction to the shaft bv considerablyl pte'd in the drawinethe novel r:features thereof elongating theihtegralnretallic shank-of the vclub 4Q. being set .forth .in the appended claims. 'f heed andsteppihe k.dov/.h the Shank above the 40 In the saidldrawhgrpoint. of securerne t .of the` `shaft in the shaft Fiel is an elevational view-of a-golfclub withv socket oi the shank or hosel, the stepping dovvn or a metallic .head "constructed in accordance with 'tapering being by series of Vgradations 'or offsets the Aprinciples of vour invention. Y f asshovvn: in the drawing. YFor example, in the 45.. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary View of an integral drawing-.thereferenclecharacter.l2 designates a 4,5

' headed shank constructed as in Fig. l and show: conventional form of metallic head .blade or striking the same attached to atubulartapered mer ing portion, provldedwith anY integral neck and tallic ,shaftv of the general. type 'of shaft shown. shanlportion i3, the shank in the ordinary'conin Fig. 1, the shaft, however, being provided with` struction being of a taper form so that it enlarges an ornamentaland.. protective covering sheath outwardlyor ipwardlvfroni the intersecting or 50 mofferablvof a suitablehexible elastic pltStC neck portion L4, `thus providing excess metal in l material in combinationwith an ornamental '.fer.-y the shank er hosel portion for club#balancingv purrnle between the. shaft .cover `or sheath `around poses, the part ozigreatesttdiameterthereof being tneshaft adjacent the 'opper extremity ofl the im# indicated bv ,the referente ohereeter-l, .at which 10 receive the Ycri-operating end of a handle shaft lieshaft of the seamless type is illustrated by usv 10 V proved shank.y extension, the vievvtShoWhg; the P0191? the 'shank ordinarily terminateslwhere it is bored to form a hosel opening in the socket to receive the shaft. But we form the neck and shank of the club head so that it has an integral extension of about double the ordinary or conventional form of tapered shank, and this is accomplished by a plurality of integrally joined stepped cylindrical portions that will preferably although not necessarily be of approximately equal length and which decrease progressively both in outside diameter and in wall -thickness toward the upper end of the elongated shaft, these portions in the drawing being designated respectively by the reference characters I6 to I9, inclusive, I6 being a portion adjoining they normally upper end and enlarged portion I5 of the shank I3, and the respective cylindrical portions I6 Vto I 9 inclusive being stepped downwardly or progressively reduced both in diameter and wall thickness in the manner shown most clearly in Fig. 2, forming a series of peripheral shoulders to 23, inclusive. We have discovered that when the shank is greatly elongated and the elongated portionl is divided up into a series of substantially cylindrical sections stepped down in diameter so as to decrease the wall thickness of the elongated added sections or, portions progressively and upwardly of the shank similar to sections I6 to I9 inclusive, the peripheral shoulders 29 to 23 inclusive have the'effect of damping or absorbing vibrations imparted to the club head in striking the ball, due to the inability of the shank when thus constructed to transmit vibrations of a mechanical nature and high frequency from the head into the shaft, with the result that when the club head and the shank with its elongated and stepped down portions is constructed in the improved manner herein shown and described the club has substantially the feel of the prior wood-handled club in which excessive vibration or ringingr in the handle was of quite frequent occurrence and at the same time, our improved step-down construction in the hereindescribed integral extension on the shank of the club head surrounding the shaft provides an improved symmetrical connection or joint between shank and shaft, permitting the use of suflicient metal in the club shankv to give the club desired balance while maintaining symmetrical and pleasing lines in the design of an iron headed metallic shafted club which has been hitherto the vcause of much experiment and labor without nding a satisfactory solution to the problem on the part of golf club artisans prior to our invention.

The invention as embodied in the improved and integral metallic headed shank shown in both Figs. l and 2, may be employed to advantage with a metallic shaft provided with suitable plating or other metallic finish as illustrated in Fig. 1, under which condition a tubular longitudinally extended socket opening for the shaft II will be formed in the stepped cylindrical portions I6 to I 9 inclusive and extended downwardly in the usual manner into the shankportion I3, Where the same may be locked in any desired manner as by means of an ordinary transverse key or pin. We prefer, however, to utilize a locking device of the form shown in our co-pending application for patent Serial No. 614,346, led May 31,' 1932, to which reference may be had for the details thereof since the specific form of shaft locking or keying device forms 4no part of the present invention, it suiiicing to say that 30 designates a socketed member introduced into the bore of the shank prior to the insertion of the shaft I I, after which when a. shaft is employed of taper form the locking key 3| may be introduced on the inside walls of the shaft and forced to the bottom of the socket opening, where the locking key will expand the slotted portion 32 of the part 30, wedging the shaft tightly in the socket opening of the shank so that it may not be shifted therein nor withdrawn without failure of the joint.

In Fig. 2 a hollow tubular tapered shaft is shown of the same form as the shaft I I of Fig. l, but provided with a suitable-covering or sheath which may be enameled, plastic or other decorative material, and between the sheath or covering ofthe shaft 35 and the upper terminus of the stepped downwardly reinforcing cylindrical portions IB to I9, inclusive, we preferably insert an ornamental band or ferrule 36 for finishing purposes, although the same obviously may be dispensed with and the effect of the same when used may be enhanced for decorative purposes Vby giving the same a covering different from or contrasting with the color of the sheathing or covering material on the shaft. l

It will be seen from thevforegoing description of our invention that we have provided a symmetrical construction and joining between the Shaft and shank of an iron headed golf club, producing a joint that will cushion the shaft of the club against vibrations which would ordinarily be imparted to the shaft by blows upon the club head, and that we have provided an ornamental and symmetrical design of club head and elongated shank, permitting of the addition of such quantities of excess material as may be desired in the shank of the club head for balancing purposes without destroying the beauty and symmetry of the club design adjacent the joint of the head and shaft.

We claim:

l. A golf club comprising an integral head and shank formed of metaL'the shank portion thereof being elongated to substantially twice the normal length and provided adjacent the outer portion thereof with a plurality of integral, axially aligned, integrally joined, substantially cylindrical short tube sections of stepped down or progressively less and less tube thicknesses and outer diameters away from the headend of the shank, there being a longitudinal bore extending through said integrally joined, substantially cylindrical short tube sections and extending into the inner normal shank portion of the club head, and a handle shaft secured in the normal shank portion of said longitudinal bore.

2. A golf club comprising an integral head and shank formed of metal, the shank portion thereof being elongated to substantially twice the normal length and provided adjacent its normal central and its outer extremity therefrom with a plurality of integral, axiallyaligned, integrally joined, substantially cylindrical short tube sections of stepped down or progressively less and less tube thicknesses and external diameters away from the head end of the shank, there being a longitudinal bore extending through said integrally joined, substantially cylindrical Yshort tube sections and into the inner shank portion of normal length of the club head, and a tubular metallic handle shaft secured metal to metal in the normal shank portion of said longitudinal bore.

3. A golf club comprising an integral head and shank formed of metal, the shank portion thereof being elongated to substantially* twice the lengthof the shank of a normal golf club head and being tapered so as to enlarge outwardly from the intersection of the head and shank portion tions imparted to the head short tube sections and into the aforesaid down- Y wardly tapered portion of the shank of the club head, and a tubular metallic handle shaft secured in the inner shank portion of normal shank length in said longitudinal bore within the downwardly tapered portion of the shank and being surrounded metal to metal by the stepped down sections on the shank whereby to dampen vibrathrough the shank to the handle shaft.

4. A golf club comprising an integral head and shank formed of metal, the shank portion therel of being elongated and provided adjacent the outer portion of its extremity with a'plurality of not less than four axially aligned, integrally joined, substantially cylindrical short tube sections of stepped down or progressively less and less tube thicknesses and external diameters away from the head end of the shank, there being a tapered, longitudinal bore extending through said integrally joined, substantially short tube sections and into the shank of the club head, the said bore tapering toward the said club head, Vand a tapered, hollow, tubular, metallic shaft secured metal to metal in the inner shank portion of normal shank length Within said tapered longitudinal bore, the smaller end of said taf pered metallic handle shaft being inserted in the bore whereby to surround and support the said shaft at its weakest point adjacent its joining with the club head by said cylindrical short tube sections of decreasing diameters away from the head end of theV shank and for damping vibrashat where it isV attached in the head.

tions tending to be imparted' from theclub head to the said hollow, tubular, metallic handle shaft.

5. A golf club comprising an integral metal head and shank, the shank having its outer end formed with a plurality of external stepped down shoulders progressively decreasing the wall thickness thereof.

6. A golf club having an internal metal head and shank, the shank being approximately twice `the normal shank length and the outer half of the shank being progressively decreased in size by a stepped down shouldered structure terminating at the outer end in a thin wall for engaging a golf club shaft.

7. A golf club comprising an integral head and shank, the shank being of approximately twice the normal length and having its outer half decreased progressively by stepped down shoulders to an outer thin portion, a shaft fitting tightly within the shank-.and secured at its end only in the regular hosel portion and contacting with the portion of'decreasing size at a distance from its attachment in the head.

' 8. A golf club comprising an integral metal head and shank, the shank being substantially twice the normal shank length and increasing in size from both ends of the shank to an intermediate portion, the portion decreasing in size from the central portion to the outer end thereof being formed with a number offstepped down shoulders forming a thinouter edge, a hollow metal shaft fitting tightly in the shankV and secured at its end in the normal shank portion which decreases in size to the head of the club, the outer progressively thinned portion being free from attachment with the shaft but fitting it tightly .and spacing this point of engagement with the shaft at a considerable distance from the end of the ALFRED E. BUHRKE. ALLEN F. HEETER. 

